Manchester United target Manuel Akanji completes £20m move to Borussia Dortmund

FC Basel defender Manuel Akanji has officially completed his move to Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £20m ($27.6m) after signing a four-year deal on Sunday (15 January).

The 22-year-old had attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United while Liverpool were said to have been monitoring him before their eventual signing of Virgil van Dijk.

Akanji had even spoken of his intentions to represent Switzerland in the World Cup and then play for United in the future.

"I don't feel any pressure at all [with expectations]," Akanji told Credit Suisse. "Things will happen the way they are meant to.

"I want to stay healthy, go with Switzerland to the World Cup, and someday play for Manchester United."

However, he would eventually be snapped up by the Bundesliga giants as he becomes the club's sixth most expensive signing of all time.

"I felt very good in the talks with the Dortmund managers, so it was a decision of the heart and I've always liked the football played in Dortmund," Akanji said following the deal.

"I'm looking forward to the time here and will do my best."

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc revealed his delight in landing the Wiesendangen native while mentioning the interest in Akanji from various clubs.

"Manuel's performances put him on the radar of a number of top European clubs," Zorc stated as per The Sun. "We're delighted that he's chosen to join us."

The Swiss native joined Basel from Winterthur in 2015 and quickly established himself as a key player in defence as he helped his team to a domestic double last season.

He also notably started all six of Basel's Champions League games this season, including the 1-0 win over United, which helped them advance to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since 2015.